# ESC Pocket Guidelines vs MedCalX

The clearest difference is rating: ESC Pocket Guidelines at 4.8 against MedCalX's 3.7. ESC Pocket Guidelines also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (841 vs 30). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MedCalX sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ESC Pocket Guidelines asks for nothing beyond the download.

ESC Pocket Guidelines holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESC Pocket Guidelines has 841 ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of ESC Pocket Guidelines's written reviews are positive against 46% of MedCalX's.

ESC Pocket Guidelines ships an update every 4 months, MedCalX every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ESC Pocket Guidelines | MedCalX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (841 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esc-pocket-guidelines/id683079599/reviews)** | [3.7 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medcalx/id1041464932/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **841** | 30 |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 45.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 44 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [ESC - European Society of Cardiology](https://appshunter.io/developer/440684535) | [Ossus GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/286022405) |

## What reviewers say

### ESC Pocket Guidelines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esc-pocket-guidelines/id683079599)

Access a comprehensive library of the latest cardiovascular disease guidelines and consensus statements from the European Society of Cardiology. Features include interactive algorithms, full-text search, bookmarking, note-taking, and content sharing capabilities for quick reference and study.

**Highlights:** Latest ESC Guidelines (2023-2025), Interactive algorithms, Full-text search, Bookmarking and notes, Content sharing, Printable pages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Practical and handy for clinical use
- 📚 Valuable medical information and guidelines
- ⭐ Excellent content quality
- 🎯 Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and stability issues
- 🔐 Sign-in system problematic and unnecessary
- 📖 Small font size and poor design readability
- ❌ Missing content topics after updates
- ⚪ Blank white page display issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iPad and iPhone devices
- Login authentication failures
- White blank page display
- App crashes when opening pathways
- Guidelines not appearing in downloaded folder

**Requested features**

- Update to support iPad Mini 6 resolution
- Include 2023 ESC Congress updates
- Remove or make sign-in optional
- Improve font size and design for better readability
- Add new guidelines (e.g., 2013 stable angina guidelines)


### MedCalX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medcalx/id1041464932)

This medical calculator app provides healthcare professionals with a comprehensive tool for complex medical formulas, scores, and classifications. It offers an extensive library of over 300 medical calculations, patient management features, and sharing capabilities.

**Highlights:** Extensive medical formula library (300+), Patient management and data saving, Customizable workflows, Multiple result sharing options, Detailed information and references, US and SI unit support, iCloud synchronization for favorites

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MedCalc 3 Upgrade | Free | one-time |
| Doximity Registration | Free | one-time |
| MedCalX Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 📱 Comprehensive collection of medical formulas and scores
- 🚀 Fast calculations and quick access
- 📚 Includes PubMed links and background information
- 🌍 Multi-language support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywalls for previously free calculators
- 🔄 Forced paid upgrades for existing users
- ❌ Missing many important medical scores
- ⏱️ Infrequent updates and maintenance
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup
- App crashes when taking patient photos
- App fails to open or becomes unresponsive
- Unable to restore previous purchases
- Doximity unlock feature not working

**Requested features**

- SCORE2 and other modern cardiovascular risk scores
- TRiP(cast) score
- Valve disease calculations
- Pediatric medication dosing calculators
- Electrolyte and fluid replacement calculations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ESC Pocket Guidelines free?

ESC Pocket Guidelines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MedCalX free?

MedCalX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ESC Pocket Guidelines or MedCalX?

ESC Pocket Guidelines is rated higher. ESC Pocket Guidelines averages 4.8 out of 5 from 841 ratings, while MedCalX averages 3.7 from 30 ratings.

### Do ESC Pocket Guidelines or MedCalX have ads?

Neither ESC Pocket Guidelines nor MedCalX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ESC Pocket Guidelines or MedCalX?

ESC Pocket Guidelines ships an update every 4 months, and MedCalX every 5 months. Most recently, ESC Pocket Guidelines was updated on October 12, 2026 and MedCalX on October 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*